The Ties of Friendship
by Anikka
Summary: After the Digidestined return to their world, Gomamon meets a friend from the past


STANDARD MIND NUMBING DISCLAIMERS - *Cough, cough* Ahem. err, Digimon doesn't belong to me. If it did I'd be rich and living on some tropical island in the South Pacific. Instead I'm stuck up here where it snows in the freaking middle of April .... but I digress .... sort of. 

Author's Note : Hello all. This is my very first Digimon fic, so please, be gentle. I'm fragile. I started writing this a while ago, at the very beginning of the Eighth Child thing, and then forgot about it for a long time. Two weeks ago I found the file and started writing again, so voila. Meaning that this has the continuity of a small grape from Chile. It's more of a "What If" kinda deal. If you like it, [let me know!][1]   
  
  
**

The Ties of Friendship   
Written by [Anikka][1]

**   
  


The clear summer moon hung gracefully over the city, perhaps fuller and brighter than one could imagine. It sat nestled against a backdrop of a thousand stars, radiantly shining through the inky blackness of the night time sky. In a field of long grass and wild flowers, one tiny figure could barely be made out as it traveled towards it's destination. The warm summer breeze was a rare occurrence these days, what with all the freak weather conditions, but when it did come, it was wonderful. Flirting with the tender blades of grass and dancing across delicate petals, it rustled through everything, including the mohawk-like orange hair of a small digital monster. 

"I wish we had nights like this back in Digiworld," exclaimed Gomamon quietly to himself as he plunged excitedly through a wall of blue and red blossoms, sending bits of colour flying through the air. 

Sure, there were some beautiful nights back in the tropical forests on File Island ; not to mention the evenings he'd spent with Joe and the others on Server Continent. This pristine night reminded him of a long time ago, before the Digidestined had arrived, when he would play in fields just like this all day long with his friends. But the Digital World and the Human World were so different. Gomamon liked this new world, because there was so much to discover. It had interesting sights and smells, not to mention interesting people. Comparing File Island to Japan was like comparing apples and oranges, and he enjoyed both. 

Still, there was something exhilarating about the feeling of charging through real grass in a real field that Gomamon savored ; that he wished he could take back with him when the inevitable time came to return to Digiworld. It was the feeling inside that for a brief moment he was more than just a piece of data in a mirror program of Earth, but an actual flesh and blood creature. Chuckling, he wondered if the other Digimon had realized that in this place they were just as real as their human counter parts. It made sense to him, sure, because in his world, Joe and the others had been comprised of data, but traveling through the portal had brought them back to their former states. He wanted to keep the feeling forever. 

Taking a small detour around a piles of rocks, Gomamon grinned a wide, happy smile when he saw his goal. He paused for a moment and looked back at Joe's house, which rested just before the line of the field. Then, he turned back towards his objective, a long, snaking river that ran silently through the wilderness. A little midnight swim wouldn't be of any harm ; what Joe didn't know couldn't hurt him, right? Moonlight shone down from above and played across the rippling surface of the dark water, teasing the little Digimon invitingly. Gomamon had not had a good swim since they arrived, and no offense to Joe, but a bathtub was not as good as a wide open body of water. But the instant that his human friend had snuck him into the house, he could smell water nearby. A peak out of the bedroom window confirmed it, when he laid his eyes upon the open field and the winding waterway that worked its path through. He couldn't help himself, he just had to go down and see it for himself. 

"Just a quick dip and then I'll be back before anyone's the wiser," he said with a beaming grin, "The water looks so nice." 

Gomamon bolted for the river, running as fast as his little flippers would take him, but he wasn't the best sprinter in the world. Sometimes he wished he could run really fast like Garurumon, or fly high like Birdramon, but then he always remembered that no Digimon could swim like he could, especially when he was Ikkakumon. Five minutes later he reached the craggy shore, which was covered in rocky out cropping and sandy gravel beds. Stretching across the stream was an old bridge that had seen better days. It looked like it had all been built by hand, comprised of large stone blocks that were crumbling under the pressures of age and erosion. Large chunks of rock had fallen into the river or crashed onto the shore line, making the entire structure look older than it actually was. But Gomamon didn't really care, as his attention was fully focused on the water. He would have just dived in head first, like he had planned on all night, if his ears and not picked up on a small disturbance to his right. 

*Probably nothing .... still* he thought to himself. 

It was most likely just a small animal looking for it's dinner, but Gomamon was still cautious. After all of the recent sightings of evil Digimon in the city one could never be too careful. He flattened his body down to the ground, and listened intently for the sound again. The unmistakable noise of rock hitting rock echoed around the fields, disturbing the peaceful quiet which had dominated. It was coming, he was sure, from underneath the bridge. With as much stealth as he could muster, Gomamon slowly began to pull himself along the ground towards the old bridge, making sure that he was always reasonably concealed. 

As he crept closer and closer, he saw what looked like a figure sitting on top of a large pile of rocks under the bridge. Upon even closer inspection, his eyes could make out two pointed ears and a long tail ; Gomamon knew who it was in an instant. 

"Gatomon," he whispered under his breath, "What is she doing here?" 

The suspect was indeed the feline Digimon that had been giving the Digidestined such a difficult time. She was perched on a cluster of fallen stone, periodically kicking bits off the pile, sending them crashing into the river. He frowned and furrowed his brow thoughtfully, as pressed with a very interesting decision. Should he run back to the house to get Joe? Should he confront her now, by himself? While he was contemplating his options, Gomamon began to inch a little closer, but to his own horror he found himself stepping clumsily on a twig. It snapped loudly, and time seemed to stand still as Gomamon froze in position. 

He had hoped that Gatomon would not be able to pick up on his mistake, but incredible superior hearing zoned in on it immediately. She rose from the pile of stones and hoped down to the river bank, peering through the darkness to catch a glimpse of the intruder. 

"Who's there?" she hissed menacingly, flashing her claws in the moonlight. 

Gomamon hesitated a moment, not particularly looking forward to this confrontation, but he knew that it would have to come sometime ; he just wished it could have been under different circumstances. Ever so slowly, he lifted his body from the ground and showed himself. Every muscle was tense as he prepared for the likely event of a fight, which he really wasn't to anxious for. In his present stage of evolution, he knew that Gatomon was more than a match for him, but he couldn't Digivolve into Ikakkumon without Joe ; he was basically painted into a corner. 

Gatomon stared at him incredulously. Of all the places she hadn't expected to run into him, this was the last on her list. Still, she wasn't exactly too surprised, knowing full well that at some time during her little visit to the human world that she would have to see him again, especially since she worked against the Digidestined. She knew without question that Gomamon was not a match for her physically, and without that human friend of his, he could not Digivolve, but she didn't really want to fight him. Instead, they both remained still, sizing the other up cautiously. 

"So," said Gomamon with a coy little smile, "I guess this means you still remember me, huh?" 

Caught a bit off guard by the question, Gatomon frowned, "I wasn't exactly sure who you were at first. When I saw you at Myotismon's castle, you were a lot - bigger than I remembered." 

"I was a little surprised when I saw you were working for Myotismon. It's not exactly a career choice I would have pictured you making, but --" 

"What do you want Gomamon?" she demanded, cutting the bland pleasantries short, "I'm not in the mood for a guilt trip from you." 

Going against what would have been better judgment, Gomamon abandoned the temporary safety of the grass and approached her underneath the bridge. Standing at the water's edge, just in case a speedy get-a-way was in order, the small aquatic Digimon looked at Gatomon with a discerning eye, and shook his head slowly. She was getting impatient and folded her striped paws across her chest, waiting for an explanation from him. 

"Why are you doing this? I always thought you were a good girl Gatomon, not that you were ever sugary sweet or anything, but nothing like this. I don't like what you've become," he replied sincerely, "I thought we were supposed to be best friends, not enemies." 

She glared at him and bared teeth, "Face it pal, things change ; Digimon change. I'm a bad kitty, and you'd do best to stay away from me." 

Perhaps for the first time in his entire life, Gomamon was truly angry. The two of them had been friends since the day they met in Primary Village, when he was Bukamon, and now she treated him like he was just like he was any other Digimon she met on the street. As Gatomon began to walk away from him, he narrowed his eyes and yelled out to her. 

"You can't just walk away from me like that! You may not be a saint, but you're not bad, you're my friend. My best friend. Do you remember the time when we threw rocks at that herd of Monochromon? Or when we made all those prank phone calls to Vegimon's diner? You can't forget things like that, and you can't forget me ... because I can't, no, I won't forget you." 

Gatomon halted her retreat, but didn't look back at him. She kept her back turned, but thought about all he had said, and she had to admit that he was right. They had been the best of friends, inseparable even, until that one day when she had left him behind for some delusions of power promised to her by Myotismon. But she couldn't escape the fact that she had never forgotten her little flippered friend, even when Myotismon had taught her to hate all the Digidestined. 

"You weren't such a saint yourself," she replied quietly, "I remember a certain little Bukamon who gave Andromon a sonic wedgie ... but, that doesn't change anything." 

"You do remember everything," he said, "Than you'll also remember when we made that promise to always be at each other's side." 

She turned back to look at him, only to find that Gomamon was sitting at the shore line, in the wet sand that separated the land from the water, staring bleakly into the cold river in front of him. Every instinct within her that was loyal to Myotismon told her to leave while the going was good, but she was torn between those artificial feelings and the forgotten ones that were starting to show themselves once more. Gatomon hated the way she was feeling, and she hated the fact that Gomamon was trying to make her feel guilty over her decision. 

"That was a long time ago Gomamon. Like I said, things change." 

The smaller Digimon looked up at her sharply, with the anger and hurt very apparent in his expression, but he said nothing. Why, after all of this time apart, was she not more happy to see him? Even though they were technically enemies, Gomamon couldn't care less. He had waited for so long to be able to see her again, to tell her how much he had missed her, and to see how excited she would be when he told her that he was a part of the Digidestined. He had always known that Gatomon wanted to be an important Digimon, that she had dreams of greatness and destiny. But what he had not counted on was that her dreams could ultimately lead to the destruction of both the Human and the Digital worlds. If only she would listen to him, just for a moment, he might be able to get through those walls she'd built up. 

"So then I suppose this means that you've found the destiny that you always wanted? I remember that night a long time ago, a night just like this, when we were sitting on a hill top, looking up at the stars. Do you remember Gatomon? When we used to say that someday we were going to be big shots ; we were going to be Digimon to reckon with. 'Bigger than Devimon' I think were your exact words." 

"I remember that night. It was such a long time ago .... but I can remember it like it was just yesterday." 

For a brief moment, just a split second in time, Gomamon was sure that he saw a smile creep up on that kitty cat's face, but it was just as quickly replaced with a look of annoyance. 

Gatomon roughly kicked a nearby rock into the river, causing a great splash of water to spray back at them. She didn't look any happier with wet fur clinging to her. "I know what you're trying to do, so save your breath. We were best friends, but that was in the past. I've missed you a lot, but with the way things are now, we can't ..... trust me, it's better this way." 

"How is it better?" he demanded in monotone anger. 

Much to his surprise, Gatomon sat down on the sand next to him, clutching her knees to her chest. The warm summer's breeze had passed, and the air became more frigid. Wet and cold, the feline Digimon tried best not to show it, but she was shivering terribly. A distressed look had crossed her face, and Gomamon became very concerned. 

"I can't take this anymore. Too much has happened already. What with the race to find that kid and Myotismon on my back every time we screw up .... I couldn't do it Gomamon." 

"Couldn't do what?" he asked with an arched brow. 

She looked into those big, compassionate green eyes for some sort of strength, but she had to turn away out of shame. "I ... I found the child Gomamon. A little girl, I don't remember her name. She was in the park and I followed her back into her apartment. I had the opportunity to end it all, and I didn't." 

"You found the eighth Digidestined?" exclaimed Gomamon with disbelief. 

"Yes. My orders were to find her and kill her, or Myotismon would kill me. I was there ... I could have done it quickly and no one would have known. But just as I prepared to strike, she turned around and looked at me and ..." 

Her voice trailed off sadly, and she didn't finish the sentence. Gomamon gave her a puzzled look, and gently urged her to finish. 

" .... she smiled at me Gomamon. She knew what I was going to do, and she just sat there smiling. I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill her." 

Gomamon's eyes glimmered hopefully in the moonlight. He only prayed that she would listen to him this time. "You're not a killer. You couldn't do it because you don't have the instincts to kill an innocent child, no matter how much brain washing Myotismon's given you or whatever promises he's made. Doesn't this prove to you that it's not too late to save yourself, and that kid. You could come back with me, I could explain everything to Joe." 

"I ... I can't -" 

"Yes you can." 

"No, I - " 

"Yes," Gomamon repeated forcefully, "You can. You're a good Digimon, just a little misguided, but a good Digimon nonetheless. Please. What are you going to do when you go back to Myotismon and tell him you just couldn't kill her? You're expendable Gatomon, he doesn't care about you!" 

"SHUT UP!" she yelled emotionally as tears began to form in her eyes, "you don't know -" 

"Expendable," he yelled back loudly, "He would sooner kill you than put up with any more of your mistakes. Flunkies like you are a dime a dozen Gatomon, and he knows he can replace you like kitty litter. You're worthless to him. Worthless!" 

"NO!" screamed Gatomon, and in a fit of blind rage, slashed Gomamon across the face. Dark red blood began to come forth from three long, jagged claw marks, in a trickle at first, but more and more came, staining his soft white fur a hideous crimson. 

"Is this what you wanted to become?" he asked, not even flinching under the extreme pain he was in, "A coward? A sniveling, expendable lackey for someone who wants you to murder a child!" 

"Stop it ... please ... stop it ..." 

Her words were choked out between sobs that racked her little body violently, and she leaned against him for support for fear of crashing down into the sand. Gomamon didn't know what hurt more, the stinging injury on his face or the brutal wound in his heart. The blood was beginning to mat in his fur, and enough of it had collected now to start dripping slowly onto the ground, mixing with the wet sand. But that was the farthest thing from his mind as this small, seemingly helpless creature shuddered through her tears and clung to him for warmth. Gatomon looked so sad and pathetic, and he wanted nothing more than to help her. 

"It doesn't have to be this way," he whispered softly, "There's still time to set everything right. You can help us, help us to save the child from Myotismon and -" 

"Why do you keep talking like that! You keep up with this talk about saving me and changing my mind, and look what I've done to you." 

"You haven't done anything," Gomamon replied calmly. 

"Are you an idiot or something? I - I can't be around you anymore, and that's that. I hurt you Gomamon, and I'll probably just hurt you again and again. It's who I've become now, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it." 

With that the feline Digimon leapt to her feet like a fire had just been started under her behind and ran through the field. She tore up the flowers and the delicate grass, leaving a path of destruction behind her. Reacting quickly, Gomamon charged after her, and though the wound on his face stung terribly when the blades of grass whipped against him, the little creature kept up the chase persistently. 

"WAIT!" he yelled across the open field, but Gatomon was not listening to him. He watched helplessly as the cat easily began to distance him ; his flippers were far too clumsy on land to keep up with something as agile as her. All he could do was watch as her figure seemed to melt away into the night. 

"DON'T LET IT END THIS WAY!" he screamed across the field, hoping that his plea would somehow reach Gatomon, and then stopped in his tracks. 

Hanging his head low, the little Digimon sighed under his breath in utter frustration, and then began to slowly make his way back to the river ; he would have to do something about the blood, which now trickled down his cheek like a small river, collecting and falling at his chin. What was he going to tell Joe and the others? Digimon did have a faster healing rate than that of other creatures, but not even his accelerated regeneration would be able to remove the injury by morning. It would probably leave him with a few unsightly scars. 

All he could think about though was what he could do to convince Gatomon to come back. He tried appealing to that side of her that he knew so very well from all those years ago, the one that she had buried underneath the hate which was given to her by Myotismon. It seemed to be an almost impenetrable fog, one that veiled heavily over her heart. Perhaps there was no way to reach her, and he and the other Digimon would be forced to destroy her ... but he refused to believe that. Gomamon swore to himself right then and there that he would get her back, even if it meant taking on Myotismon all by himself. 

The hollow sound of a far off animal baying at the moon drew his attention, and Gomamon craned his neck to gaze up into the celestial body himself. Soft, silver moonlight reflected from the massive object in the sky in his wide green eyes, filling him with a sense of inner peace. As he carefully began to tread back towards Joe's house, he considered all that had happened that evening and what it meant to the fate of this beautiful new world. He chose to take Gatomon's sudden reappearance into his life as a sign that there was perhaps more to his existence than just a protector of the Digidestined. Gomamon had another purpose.   
  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  


"Maybe we should just start without him," suggested Mimi, swinging her feet back and forth as they dangled from the park bench, "I mean if Joe can't show up on time why should we have to suffer?" 

Matt rolled his eyes as he fiddled idly with his Digivice, "Because Joe's a part of this team too." 

"Yeah," exclaimed Tai over enthusiastically, "A team, remember?" 

"All right. Chill out guys, it was just a suggestion." 

The six Digidestined and their Digimon partners, minus Joe, sat around in the park for another ten minutes or so, until at last Izzy spotted Joe running towards them over a hill. Around his shoulders he lugged a large blue gym bag with him. Panting and puffing, he greeted his friends by collapsing on the bench and sucking up air like a vacuum cleaner. 

"Late ... overslept ... sorry," he managed to wheez out between breaths. 

"Uhhh, yeah," replied Tai as he regard Joe with an odd look, "Whatever, don't worry about it Joe. Where's Gomamon?" 

The late child finally regained his composure and removed the bag, setting it gently on the ground. The rest of the group noticed a somewhat somber expression on their friends face as he unzipped the bag, allowing his little Digimon friend to come out. When he did so, the others, including the Digimon, gasped in shock when they saw the hideous red streaks that ran across his once perfectly white furry face. Joe shook his head silently as he lifted Gomamon from the bag and set him on the ground. 

"Oh .... my ....." exclaimed Sora incredulously, "What is this?" 

"What happened to your face Gomamon?" asked Biyomon and Gabumon simultaneously. 

The small aquatic Digimon looked back and forth between them and sighed. He wasn't ready to tell them what had really happened last night between himself and Gatomon, but he would have to tell them something ; a huge fake grin spread across his face and he attempted to sound as cheerful as they always thought he was. 

"I, uh, accidentally ... oh, this is so embarrassing ...." 

"Tell us," demanded Tai impatiently, causing Gomamon to grimace slightly, "What happened?" 

"I sort of ... fell on ... a rake." 

This, he thought, was perhaps the dumbest excuse in the book. No one would be dumb enough to believe it, but if he presented it convincingly enough, maybe it just might work. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that Tai was buying it, as a skeptical look crossed his face. 

"Excuse me?" 

"He fell on a rake," repeated Joe, "It was my fault really, I shouldn't have left it lying around. Gomamon was leaning out the window, and he went a little far, lost his balance, and the next thing I know I've got a Digimon on a stick." 

"Ewww," exclaimed Mimi, "Didn't that hurt Gomamon?" 

"A little, but I'm fine now, really. Digimon have a faster healing rate than humans, but thank you ever so much for your concern!" said Gomamon, flashing a smile, and a gaze of thanks up towards Joe. 

It was a good thing that Joe was such a nice guy. When Gomamon had returned to the house, Joe had a fit when he told him the story of what actually happened, but promised to keep his secret from the others until he was ready to tell. Joe's testimony made the rake story seem a little more plausible, and it seemed as though Tai was beginning to accept it. 

"Maybe we should talk about this later," suggested Matt, "We have to decide what we're going to do about the eighth child." 

It was obvious from the look in his eyes that Matt didn't believe the rake thing one bit, but Gomamon also saw some compassion. Matt knew that something had happened, but if Gomamon didn't want to share, than everyone else should just butt out of his business ; he would tell them when he was ready. 

A round of varying "I agrees" came from the other Digidestined, and the kids sat down in the soft park grass, except of course for Mimi, who sat on the bench, and began to discuss their plans. Gomamon listened in for a few minutes, but when Tai and Matt began to get into another one of their arguments he got up and slinked under the bench, where he would be able to think for himself, and the curious eyes of the other Digimon would not be analyzing his face every two seconds ; or at least that's what he thought. 

"Hey Gomamon, whatchya' doing?" asked Patamon, with bright inquisitive eyes. 

Gomamon lifted an eyebrow, and saw that Gabumon, Biyomon, and Agumon were with him, and muttered something under his breath. Why wouldn't they just leave him alone? 

"I'm doing the backstroke, what does it look like?" he replied sarcastically. 

"Looks like you're moping," said Biyomon, and she patted him on the back, "What's the matter?" 

"Nothing is 'the matter'. I just feel like sitting alone quietly, is that alright or do I need to file some sort of permit?" 

"But you never do anything quietly," Gabumon pointed out, "You're always the life of the party. What really happened last night?" 

"It doesn't matter," he said sullenly, and rested his head on his flippers so they couldn't see the scarring, "Now the party has ended, can you leave me alone for a little while?" 

The other Digimon looked at each other in confusion, but honored his request and left him alone under the bench. The not so distant sound of conversation filled his brain, but he really wasn't picking up on any of it. All he could think about was Gatomon, and how he would be able to save her from Myotismon's evil grip. Could his friend really be gone forever? No, he wouldn't accept it. Somewhere, deep inside, she had to remember who she was, what she was, and he would give it everything he ... 

"What are YOU doing here?!" came a sudden shrill yell from Tai, spooking Gomamon and making him snap his head up painfully. 

There had been some sort of commotion, and the Digimon were all tense about something. Looking up, he saw the group gather closely together, Digimon out in front protecting their human friends, preparing for a confrontation. 

*It must be another evil Digimon* he thought, and was about to join the others, when he heard the hauntingly familiar voice. 

"Please wait, I didn't come here to fight!" 

Gomamon's eyes widened in surprise when he recognized the voice in an instant. Launching himself to his feet, he stumbled and scrabbled his way in clumsy anticipation. Could it really be? It seemed to be a little to convenient to believe, but he wasn't concerned with that. It had to be her ... it just had to be. 

"Outta my way Palmon," he exclaimed, rudely shoving the plant Digimon out of his path. Squeezing carefully between the legs of the Digidestined children and past the other Digimon, Gomamon finally made it out in the front of the pack, where Tai and Agumon were locked in a fighting stance. Standing before them, paws folded behind her back and head held low, was Gatomon herself. Gomamon's mouth dropped to the ground. 

"You can't trick us Gatomon, we know you're one of Myotismon's goons. Go get her Agumon!" yelled Tai at his Digimon. 

"Right," agreed the little orange reptile, "PEPPER BREATH!" 

Gomamon watched in horror as Agumon opened his mouth and the flames gathered in preparation for the attack. Reacting quickly, he began to run, not thinking about what he was doing, in the direct path of the imminent fire ball. Standing at the side, Joe grasped crest of responsibility, which was glowing with a bright bluish light, afraid for his little partner but saying nothing. He knew that this was something he had to do, even if he didn't agree. 

"GOMAMON, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" screamed Tai, but it was too late. 

The fire ball left Agumon's mouth and in a hideous scene that seemed to go in slow motion, the attack collided with Gomamon in the side, knocking him to the ground and making him roll several feet. There was deathly silence for a long period of time, when both human and Digimon were too afraid to breathe. The little spotted creature did not move, and everyone feared the worse. 

"What ... why did he ..." was all Tai could say, his entire body shaking with shock, "Joe, what is this?" 

The light had faded away from the crest of responsibility, but Joe still clasped it in his grip tightly, hanging his head. "He said that it might come down to this, but not to interfere. It was something he just had to do." 

Gatomon, still frozen in spot, stared at her fallen friend with wide eyed horror. He had just risked his life to protect her from Agumon's attack, and what had happened? Was he ... was he dead? She couldn't bear the thought of her best friend being dead, after all of the kindness he had shown her in the face of Myotismon's evil. This feeling inside of her hurt more than anything else ; she wanted it to go away, but deep inside she knew that it was her true emotion shining through, which was stronger and truer than anything Myotismon could have given her. 

"GOMAMON!" she cried out, and ran as fast as her little legs out take her towards the still figure on the ground. 

Tai looked like he was going to challenge her again, but Joe held him back, shaking his head sadly. "No Tai, leave her." 

"But she's evil man!" he exclaimed with frustrated anger, "She's with Myotismon." 

"Let them be," added Sora quietly, "Don't interfere. He wanted it this way." 

Tai looked back at his friends, and though he didn't think they were right, respected their wishes and backed down. But as he watched, he saw something shiny dangling from Gatomon's claw. As she ran, it fell, and Gatomon made no move to retrieve it. Instead, her attention was only focused on her friend. Gasping at the site which greeted her, Gatomon fell to her knees beside him, and gently stroked the darkened section of his side which had been blackened by the attack. 

Trying desperately to hold back hot tears of regret, and failing at it miserably, Gatomon did something she hadn't done it what seemed like years ; she cried. Wrapping her little arms tenderly around his neck, the feline Digimon buried her face in his soft fur, sobbing like there was no tomorrow. Feeling the warmth that still claimed hold of her friend, she began chocking out apologies between sobs, though it sounding like nothing more than gibberish to the others. 

"I'm sorry Gomamon, I hurt you again," she cried weakly through her tears, "It's all my fault. I should have listened to you last night. You were right ..... you were right ...."   
  
  


**FIN**

  
  


*Pulls out a Kleenex* Oh man, why did I have to go and do that? Now I'm gonna be all misty through computer class tomorrow. When I originally planned this I wasn't going to have Gomamon die, but wake up and there be a happy reunion moment. Looking back though, I always prefer to have a tragic ending to things than a happy one ; makes it seem more like real life. 

I've been reading a lot of Digimon fanfic lately, and through a lot of it the Digimon only play tiny, secondary roles. I thought that I should give them more human qualities and emotions, and make their personalities stand out a little. Poor Gomamon *sniff* I miss him already. 

And just to reiterate, I started writing this right at the beginning of the Eighth Child Saga, so I hadn't seen what happened in the series, which is why it doesn't really seem to have any continuity with what actually happened and the past which was established later (I.E - Gatomon's Digi-Egg and crest being lost by Genni, not growing up in Primary Village, etc). Please forgive me! 

Did you like it? Did you hate it? Lemme know, I'm always up for some constructive C&C. My e-mail address is [anikka@saiyan.com][1] Thanks for reading! 

   [1]: mailto:anikka@saiyan.com



End file.
